Politics

My Facebook engagement lasted less than 24 hours.

I was one of the many whom, during the social networking website’s early development when two profiles first began to link to one another through a declaration of a relationship status, light-heartedly proposed an “engagement” to a female friend from high school.

As a new student at college where not everyone I knew was familiar with the nature of my relationship to my freshly declared “fiancé” and perhaps because these “comical
engagements” were not quite as rampant as they currently are, my relationship status caused confusion. I received several inquiries about “the lucky lady” as well as a sweet but misguided congratulatory email for my impending nuptials.

A little while ago, I posted a blog encouraging people to call their senators and ask them to vote in favor of the Matthew Shepard Act. I'm going to be honest here; I never called. I didn't do anything. This morning I got an email from Judy Shepard asking, once again, if I would call my senators and tell them I support the Matthew Shepard Act, which will expand federal hate crimes laws. The senate may vote on this act as early as today. So, I sent emails to both of my senators.

The Human Rights Campaign has released a questionnaire on GLBT issues to the 2008 democratic presidential candidates. You can download it here: http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=36930&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/Con

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For the most part the candidates agree on everything from supporting federal hate crimes legislation to comprehensive sex education and repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The only thing I found disappointing about the candidates' responses were how few of them support same-sex marriage.

The House recently passed the Matthew Shepard Act which would expand hate crimes laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Now, it's up for a vote in the Senate.

Please give your Senators a call at: 202-224-3121 (ask for your Senator's office) and tell them you support the Matthew Shepard Act.

Citizens of Massachusetts are fiercely lobbying their legislators, trying to swing their votes in favor/against a ballot measure allowing Massachusetts voters to decide whether or not gay marriage will survive in the Bay State.  

I've been getting emails from my friends in Holyoke (a wonderful city in Western Mass), who met with their local representative, Tim Kane, to ask him to vote against a ballot measure, and I write to you to say: I'm torn, friends. Help me out.

After discovering that her VW bug had been defaced by spray-painted messages of "fag" and "u r gay" (most likely triggered by a rainbow flag sticker on her car), Erin Davies' of Albany, NY decided to take action.

After driving to work in the vehicle, she noticed the amount of attention she received and the amount of dialogue she was sparking amongst pasersby.

Although initially embarrassed by the vandalism, it was the reactions to her vehicle that prompted her to not only continue driving it... but also use the situation to give people a reality check about the amount of intolerance and just plain hatred and homophobia that still exists towards LGBT folks in this country.

In a letter to the Servicemember's Legal Defense Network (the largest advocacy organization serving LGBTQ military personnel) John McCain once again decided to show the bigot he's will to be if only it will get him the votes come primary day. McCain reiterared his support of the Don't Ask Don't Tell law, a law which the majority of the Americans (and servicemembers) do not think should exist.

ACT UP, a social justice organization and political protest group originally formed around the issue of AIDS, has risen from the ashes. In NYC the phoenix burns bright, rekindled by a powerful speech by LGBT rights activist Larry Kramer some weeks ago.

The organization kicked off its revival with a protest of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs comments about homosexuality being "immoral".

The protests continued recently with a powerful move in Manhattan.

[read on]

What's more interesting than traveling the country to talk about equality while being called a greater threat to America than Osama Bin-Laden?

I'm not sure but if you know please tell me.

It's been a roller coast ride. I'm trying to keep everybody updated but between the practically non-existent wireless at our hotels and the constant work it does get a bit hard.

So check out this article and find out what has been happening in the latest update on the Equality Ride 2007!